U.S. patent number 5,182,817 [Application Number 07/729,483] was granted by the patent office on 1993-02-02 for goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens.
Invention is credited to Brian Branum.
United States Patent |
5,182,817 |
Branum |
February 2, 1993 |
Goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens
Abstract
Goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens, wherein the lens is
mounted to the goggle frame using an extruded flexible member
provided with a frame slot and a lens slot. In a preferred
embodiment the lens slot and frame slot are parallel to each other
and are sufficiently deep to removably mount on the inside edge of
the frame and the outside edge of the lens and facilitate
interchanging various lenses. Alternatively, glue may be applied to
the frame slot and lens slot for permanently mounting the lens in
the frame.
Inventors: |
Branum; Brian (Garland,
TX) |
Family
ID: |
24931247 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/729,483 |
Filed: |
July 12, 1991 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/439; 2/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F
9/025 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61F
9/02 (20060101); A61F 009/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/439,429,432,434,441,443,444,447,449,450,451,453,454,426,430,427,428,431
;351/41,47,178 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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419854 |
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Apr 1991 |
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EP |
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514280 |
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Nov 1939 |
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GB |
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598136 |
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Feb 1948 |
|
GB |
|
2221551 |
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Feb 1990 |
|
GB |
|
9111159 |
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Aug 1991 |
|
WO |
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Primary Examiner: Schroeder; Werner H.
Assistant Examiner: Neas; Michael A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harrison; John M.
Claims
Having described my invention with the particularity set forth
above, what is claimed is:
1. Goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens, comprising a frame
having a viewing opening bordered by an inside edge, temple pieces
carried by said frame in hinged relationship, a flexible, resilient
extruded lens mount having a frame slot for removably receiving the
inside edge of said viewing opening of said frame and a lens slot
for removably receiving said lens and removably mounting said lens
in said viewing opening of said frame, said frame slot and said
lens slot provided in offset, substantially parallel planes in said
lens mount and extending at leas to a plane bisecting said lens
mount perpendicular to said parallel planes.
2. The goggles of claim 1 wherein said lens further comprises a
polarized lens.
3. Goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens and adapted to fit over
eyeglasses, comprising a frame constructed of a plastic material
and having a viewing opening bounded by an inside edge; temple
pieces carried by said frame in hinged relationship; an elongated,
flexible lens mount having a substantially circular cross-section,
a longitudinal frame slot located in a first chord of said circular
cross section for receiving said inside edge of said frame; and a
longitudinal lens slot extruded in a second chord of said circular
cross section for receiving the edge of said lens and securing said
lens in said viewing opening and wherein the plane of said first
chord is substantially parallel to the plane of said second
chord.
4. The goggles of claim 3 wherein said lens further comprises a
polarized lens.
5. The goggles of claim 3 further comprising cement provided in
said frame slot and said lens slot for permanently securing said
lens mount to said inside edge of said frame and said edge of said
lens in said lens slot.
6. The goggles of claim 5 wherein said lens further comprises a
polarized lens.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to goggles having temple pieces for
alternate use and storage and more particularly, to goggles adapted
to be worn both conventionally and fitted over conventional eye
glasses and having an extrusion-mounted lens. In a preferred
embodiment of the invention the goggle frame is provided with an
extruded flexible plastic member fitted with continuous
longitudinal frame and lens slots for receiving the inside edge of
the frame and the outside edge of the lens and removably securing
the lens to the frame. In this manner, various types of lenses,
including polarized lenses, may be inserted in the lens slot and
mounted in the frame, as desired. Alternatively, glue or cement may
be applied to the frame slot and lens slot to permanently secure a
particular lens in the frame, as desired. In each circumstance, the
extruded lens mount serves to minimize scratching of the lens when
the goggles are placed lens downwardly on a supporting surface and
reduce damage to the lens due to shock, by acting as a shock
absorber when the goggles are dropped on a hard surface and also to
facilitate interchangeability of lenses, as desired. The lens mount
further serves to improve the decorative effect of the goggles and
may be provided in various colors to enhance this feature.
One of the problems associated with various types of goggles which
are designed for wearing both with and without eye glasses is that
of scratching the soft plastic lenses and the lack of
interchangeability of shaded lenses, depending upon the brightness
of the sun. While these lenses are normally highly resistant to
impact, they are easily scratched and the frame may be easily
broken by dropping on a hard surface such as concrete or the like,
thereby rendering the goggles unfit for future use. Scratching of
the lenses is a particularly bothersome problem since the plastic
is normally easily scratched by any hard surface or even by
careless cleaning. These conventional goggles also lack the
facility for interchanging lenses, which may be necessary under
circumstances where the outdoorsman is participating in a sporting
activity indoors or in either bright sunlight or overcast
conditions.
Various types of goggles are known in the art for use in sporting
activities such as fishing, participating in active sporting events
such as football and basketball and the like, as well as other
purposes. Typical of these goggles is the custom-designed goggle
used in active sports such as basketball, which goggles are
constructed of a plastic frame and are fitted with non-tinted
prescription lenses designed to correct the athlete's particular
vision impairment. Other goggles are designed for fitting over
eyeglasses and may be provided with polarized lenses having a
desired degree of tinting to block the sunlight and provide better
vision on bright, sunny days. These goggles are typically
constructed with a plastic frame provided with a suitable lens and
having folding temple pieces for easy storage.
It is an object of this invention to provide goggles having a
removable or permanent extrusion-mounted lens for wearing by a
user, either alone or over prescription glasses.
Another object of this invention is to provide goggles having
extrusion-mounted lens that are removably mounted in the frame by
means of a flexible lens mount attached to the frame and the
lens.
A still further object of this invention is to provide goggles
adapted for fitting over eye glasses and fitted with folding temple
pieces and a tinted, polarized lens which is mounted in the frame
by means of a flexible, extruded lens mount having continuous lens
and frame slots for receiving the frame and
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the invention are provided in new and
improved goggles having temple pieces and adapted for wearing with
and without eye glasses and further including extrusion-mounted,
polarized lens, which lens are seated in a continuous lens slot
provided in a flexible, elongated lens mount also having a frame
slot for receiving the frame, to facilitate removably mounting the
lens in the frame. Alternatively, a glue or cement may be applied
to the frame slot and lens slot for permanently mounting the lens
to the frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be better understood by reference to the
accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the
goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of the goggles
illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a typical lens mount, with
the frame and lens inserted and mounted in corresponding frame and
lens slots, in offset relationship, respectively.,
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of an alternative preferred offset
lens mount configuration;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another alternative preferred offset
lens mount configuration;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a third alternative preferred offset
lens mount configuration;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of yet another lens mount configuration,
wherein the frame and lens are inserted and mounted in the
corresponding frame and lens slots in aligned relationship;
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of still another alternative
preferred offset lens mount configuration; and
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a typical die for extruding the
lens mount illustrated in FIGS. 1-3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawing, in a preferred
embodiment the goggles having an extrusion-mounted lens of this
invention are generally illustrated by reference numeral 1. The
goggles 1 are characterized by a lens frame 2 which is typically
constructed of a plastic material such as cellulose acetate,
butyrate or polycarbonate, by way of example. Other plastics, such
as polyethylene, polypropylene and the like, in non-exclusive
particular, may also be used to construct the lens frames 2,
according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The lens
frame 2 is characterized by a top segment 3, which defines a top
segment leg 4 and a bottom segment 6, having an upwardly-extending
bottom segment leg 7, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A pair of
temple pieces 9, also constructed of material such as cellulose
acetate, butyrate, polycarbonate or other material as described
above, are hingedly attached to the sides of the lens frame 2, as
further illustrated in FIG. 2. This hinged relationship is effected
by hinge mounts 10, extending from mount shoulders 11 of the tops
and bottoms of each of the temple pieces 9 and corresponding hinges
14, which project into hinge openings 17, located in the top
segment 3 and bottom segment 6 of the lens frame 2, as illustrated
in FIGS. 1 and 2. Ear pieces 12 are shaped in the extending ends of
each of the temple pieces 9 to facilitate wearing of the goggles 1
in conventional relationship or over eye glasses, as desired, with
the ear pieces 12 engaging the ears of the user in conventional
fashion. The temple pieces 9 are easily folded into a stored
configuration (not illustrated}by operation of the respective
hinges 14 and the folding clearance 15 and hinge clearance 16
between the temple pieces 9 and the lens frame 2, respectively, as
further illustrated in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and 9, the flexible, extruded lens
mount 18 may be constructed of rubber or other synthetic material
which is sufficiently soft for mounting and yet sufficiently hard
to retain its structural integrity and is inserted between the lens
22 and the lens frame 2, as hereinafter further described. In a
preferred embodiment of the invention the lens mount 18 is fitted
with a frame slot 19 and a lens slot 20, extended in parallel
planes, in slightly overlapped relationship in the lens mount 18 by
operation of the lens mount die 9, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 9.
This configuration of the frame slot 19 and lens slot 20 is created
by forcing a selected molten plastic or rubber material through the
die throat 26 of the lens mount die 24, around the frame extruder
27 and lens extruder 28, extending from the die body 25 into the
die throat 26. The configuration therefore facilitates insertion of
the frame edge 5 into the frame slot 19 and the lens edge 23 into
the lens slot 20 to removably mount the lens 22 in the lens frame 2
in offset relationship, as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. This offset
positioning of the respective segment legs and lens 22 in the
corresponding frame slot 19 and lens slot 20 increases shear
resistance in the lens mount 18, although an alternative aligned
mounting of the segment legs and lens 22 can be effected in the
lens mount 18, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The lens mount 18 is
typically installed in the lens frame 2 and receives the lens 22
with the lens mount margin 21 marking the ends of the lens mount
18, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring now to FIGS. 4-9 of the drawing, it will be appreciated
by those skilled in the art that the lens mount 18 may be extruded
or otherwise constructed in cross-sectional configurations other
than the round configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. Other
variations of the cross-sectional configuration and offset-mounting
of the lens mount 18 are illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 and 8, in
non-exclusive particular. Accordingly, it will be recognized by
those skilled in the art that other configurations not illustrated
in FIGS. 1-8 of the drawings may be utilized in the lens mount 18
of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the lens
mount 18 and alternative variously shaped counterparts illustrated
in the drawing may be constructed of a wide variety of flexible,
resilient materials, including rubber or plastic materials,
according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The chosen
material must be sufficiently soft to facilitate easy manipulation
during the mounting operation, yet sufficiently hard and resilient
to maintain its structural integrity and withstand shock. The
material must also resist thermal expansion and contraction,
corrosion from oils such as suntan lotion and the like and thermal
and ozone degradation. In another most preferred embodiment of the
invention the lens mount 18 is constructed by extrusion from a
material known as "Santoprene", a trademark of Monsanto Company.
The particular "Santoprene" product which is ideally suited for the
lens mount 18 is a 73 dirometer plastic product, which "dirometer"
designation is an indication of hardness of the material.
"Santoprene" is a thermoplastic material which may be easily
extruded by operation of the lens mount die 24, illustrated in FIG.
9, to define the necessary frame slot 19 and lens slot 20 and
serves to tightly, yet removably, secure the lens mount 18 to the
lens frame 2 and support the lens 22 in the lens frame 2. The
"Santoprene" lens mount 18 is typically extruded through the lens
mount die 24 or other suitable die by an extrusion process well
known to those skilled in the art, in order to construct a lens
mount 18 of sufficient structural integrity and length to mount the
lens 22 in the lens frame 2.
It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the
lens 22 may be retrofitted to existing goggles 1 by initially
cutting an opening in the lens frame 2 by any suitable technique,
which opening is sufficiently large to receive the lens 22 and the
lens mount 18 and mount the lens 22 on the lens frame 2 using the
lens mount 18, as heretofore described. Alternatively, the lens
frame 2 of the goggles 1 may be specially constructed with an
opening of sufficient size to achieve the same result, according to
the knowledge of those skilled in the art.
Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be further
appreciated by those skilled in the art that the lens 22 may be
constructed in two pieces instead of one, under circumstances where
a nose piece (not illustrated) is provided in the center of the
lens frame 2 for additional structural integrity. The two segments
of the lens 22 are then inserted, using two pieces of lens mount 18
in the same manner as that described above for a single length of
lens mount 18.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been
described above, it will be recognized and understood that various
modifications may be made in the invention and the appended claims
are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within
the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *